Solar energy can provide an environmentally friendly source of energy that does not rely on extraction of fossil fuels and that contributes relatively less to global warming and to related environmental problems than do fossil fuel-based energy sources. In addition, in many cases solar energy can be captured and used locally and thus reduce requirements for transportation or importation of fuels such as petroleum.
Solar energy may be captured, for example, by a collector that absorbs solar radiation and converts it to heat, which may then be used in a variety of applications. Alternatively, solar radiation may be captured by a collector which absorbs solar radiation and converts a portion of it directly to electricity by photovoltaic methods, for example. Mirrors or lenses may be used to collect and concentrate solar radiation to be converted to heat or electricity by such methods.